Vietnam: A bowlful of Phở Gà

The beauty of living in Singapore as an expat is that all of the comforts of home are easily accesible. Public transport is clean, people speak English, and there is a 24 hr McDonalds delivery service (not that I ever used that...). That being said, when you want a little bit of drama and a heaping spoonful of chaos, you best hop on a plane to Vietnam.

I instantly fell in love with Saigon the first time I was there and I am pretty sure the feeling was mutual. Though my t-rex stature was always a point of interest for strangers in Asia, the Vietnamese seemed particularly intrigued by my genetic make-up and felt the need to feed me portions big enough for their entire family. I never argued. My go to was always the popular Phở Gà, complete with flavorful add-ons (mint, chilis, fish sauce).Phở comes in beef, meatball, and combo varieties but I find the chicken version is the easiest place to start.

*If ever in HCMC, grab a taxi to Phở Le, for a bowl.*

RECIPE:

2 liters high quality chicken broth

1 inch knob of ginger, grated very finely

1 Tbsp fish sauce

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

1 lb thin rice noodles, fresh or dried

1 large yellow onion, chopped finely

1 Tbsp rock sugar

3 scallions, green part only, chopped

to garnish (optional)

beansprouts

mint leaves

fresh cilantro, chopped

lime wedges

fresh chopped chilis or chili paste to mix in

TO COOK:

-Cook rice noodles according to instructions. Set aside.-Heat the broth, ginger, onions, fish sauce, and sugar over the stove.-Simmer away until onions are tender.. should be about 15 min.-Add the shredded chicken, scallions, and rice noodles and heat through.-Add salt if necessary.-Serve with whatever extras you like on top!